Two men killed during card game

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Hours after celebrating Father’s Day, two men were murdered at their friend’s home in Penal yesterday.

Father of four and grandfather of one Kurt “Zorro” Wellington Davidson, 52, a plumber and Shazard Mohammed, 28, father of a three-month-old baby, were shot to death around 12.45 am.

Police believe robbery may have been the motive since Mohammed’s gold rings were missing.

They were among four people killed in South Trinidad within 12 hours between Sunday and Monday. Up to yesterday afternoon, 219 people had been murdered for the year.

Phillip “Weasel” Ramdeen, the owner of the house, told police they were playing cards at his Mathura Avenue, Charlo Village home on Sunday but around 11.30 pm he went to bed.

However, around 12.45 am he was jolted from his sleep by loud explosions. Upon checking he found Davidson slouched on a couch while Mohammed was lying on his back on a two-seater couch, both bleeding from gunshot wounds.

Police recovered seven spent 9 mm shells at the scene. A quantity of money was also found on them.

Two months ago, Ramdeen’s relative, Visham “Baby Sham” Ramdeen, was killed outside the same house. However, police don’t believe the two incidents are related.

At the murder scene yesterday, Davidson’s eldest child Crystal, 23, said her father was staying at Ramdeen’s house but he used to bathe and do his laundry at her home. She said he spent Father’s Day at her home.

“The last time I saw my father was last night. I gave him what I had to give him. He asked for another plate of food and then he gone. Then we got the news this morning that they shot and killed him,” Crystal said.

While she did not know why her father was killed, she admitted he was not the best person.

“He had he little bacchanal and thing with people,” she noted.

Lamenting the crime situation in the country, she said, “Father’s Day was just yesterday and it really painful to lose my father, to know that he is gone today. We spoke just last night. He ate and everything, that he is no more with us.

“We done have to deal with COVID already, at least let us try to work together to fight it, instead of wanting to kill people. This is already a hard time. People don’t have jobs. We need to work together instead of killing people and shooting them, instead of taking them down after Father’s Day.”

Mohammed, who lived nearby at Lowkie Street with his mother and other relatives, never got a chance to meet or hold his firstborn, as she lives with her mother in the United States.

“She (his girlfriend) was waiting for the borders to reopen to come and so he would meet his child,” Mohammed’s niece, Salina Mohammed, said.

However, she said Mohammed would video chat with his girlfriend and baby girl every day. Although they were concerned about him wearing his flashy gold jewellery, he did not heed their warnings.

“He was not afraid. He was a brave person,” Mohammed said.

She said his mother was distraught as he was her “eyeball,” youngest child and only son.

Up to yesterday, no one had been arrested for the murders.

Visiting the scene were Supt Ramphall, Insp Mathura, Insp Jaggernath, Sgt Persad, Sgt Stephen James, Cpl Harripersad and PC Bisnath of the Penal CID and Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region 3. Investigations are continuing.